How to find out if you're affected by the Equifax hack

12 September 2017

"Equifax claims to be helping Mainers, but it has slipped a "rip-off clause" into the fine print of its website that might shield the company from responsibility for allowing thieves to get sensitive information from 143 million consumers", Lauren Saunders, associate director of the National Consumer Law Center, said in the news release. (Make sure the website is secure before doing so- you'll want to make sure it says "https" in the URL). That detail, which has gotten a little overblown in its rounds on social media, has inspired nearly as much anger as the hack itself.

"The breach at Equifax is another reminder that information that isn't properly protected will be stolen. The odds of you getting right six digits, it's actually very hard", Zafar said. Some credit card information was also put at risk. He encouraged everyone to call Equifax and see if their information had been compromised, and added that his "office intends to get to the bottom of how and why this massive hack occurred".

Freezes can be done online at the websites of the three credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Lenders rely on the information collected by the credit bureaus to help them decide whether to approve financing for homes, cars and credit cards.

For an individual person, a credit freeze fee isn't exactly prohibitive. While this appears to be a good deal it may not be much of a token of apology. Consumers can also check their credit report for free each year at annualcreditreport.com.

Now Equifax, the giant credit reporting agency, has made itself the poster child for how not to deal with customer security.

Redskins safety Su'a Cravens talked out of retiring
According to The Post's report, Cravens, in a group text message, informed the defensive backs of his decision to retire. After the second injury, Cravens didn't report to Redskins Park for three days and didn't tell anyone why.

The company said late yesterday that they had not been informed of the incident.

Here's how to freeze your credit.

Following criticism from many in the infosec sphere, Equifax told The New York Times that it will be changing the PIN generation and request process: "While we have confidence in the current system, we understand and appreciate that consumers have questions about how PINs are now generated".

Company executives are also under scrutiny, after it was found that three Equifax executives sold shares worth a combined $1.8 million just a few days after the company discovered the breach, according to documents filed with securities regulators.

Two victims in OR, affected by the breach - Mary McHill from Portland, and Brook Reinhard from Eugene - have filed a national class action lawsuit.

While a chunk of the USA population now risk their SSNs ending up in the hands of identity thieves and, perhaps, the dark web, the breach can be yet again an eye opener to consumers across the globe, including India.

While their services are essential to the US economy, the credit-reporting bureaus don't have the same regulatory oversight as the financial industry.